When the MAGA phenomena (Make America Great Again) became a thing, lots of people freaked out. Accusations of totalitarianism, racism, Luddite thinking, and the end of an Empire were tossed around, creating a lot of fear and trembling. For those of us who read history, we know that many presidents have used similar phrases when they took office; and the truth is that we all want this country to be a great place to live – and it is. There’s a reason so many people have risked life and limb to come here for a better way of life; this is why so many have given their lives for freedom. American success stories are everywhere, showing that opportunities are available for most people who work hard. The problem I had – and still have – with MAGA is the “again” part. I have asked countless supporters of this term what the again part means and have not received an adequate answer. This is the sticking point, at least, for me.
When was America a better place than it is now? Were we better when we enslaved people? How about when women couldn’t vote? Was it during the McCarthy era when free speech was limited and monitored by the FBI? How about the Viet Nam war? Before the Sexual Revolution, Equal Rights for Women, the Civil Rights Movement, or the struggle against hatred for LGBTQ people? America was always great for some people and not others; wouldn’t it be better if America was a great place to live for all people? What if we took the founders seriously and actually read the preamble to the Constitution: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Beautiful, isn’t it? Nobody in that group of radicals ever thought this country would be perfect; they understood that human beings are flawed, so we all have to continue to work together towards being better.
What if we strived to Make America Better (MAB)? To celebrate our freedom and our convictions and the parts of our past that have contributed to the common good of the world? What if we stopped being so defensive and were honest with ourselves? Telling the truth matters, after all. If we admitted that we have messed up a lot – if we apologized to those we have damaged – if we confessed and atoned and worked to make things right – then, I think, we could make America better. Looking backwards, as if we had it down perfectly in the past, only leads to blame and pain and bigotry. It is also a lie. Looking forward together might help us on this journey. We will continue to make mistakes – we are only human, after all – but we will make them together. And we might learn from them.
The first speaker at this year’s CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) the first speaker (Jack Posobiec) called for the end of democracy. He said, “We are here to overthrow it completely. We didn’t get all the way there on Jan. 6, but we will endeavor to get rid of it.” This isn’t making America great or better – it is a call to embrace tyranny. If we are to make America better, we need to say no to this kind of evil. We are better than this. I think. I hope. I pray.
Prayer – Holy God, give us the courage to be better, to embrace equality, and to speak the language of love and truth. Amen.’
Today’s art is “Modern Democracy” by Jean Mirre.